Boca Juniors let lead slip as Union snatch 1-1 dramatic draw

Updated: Jan 29, 2025, 08:16 pm

SANTA FE, Argentina, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Boca Juniors missed out on their first win in the Argentine Primera Division's Apertura tournament after a last-gasp Franco Fragapane goal for Union cancelled out Marcelo Saracchi's early opener for the visitors on Wednesday.

Coming off a draw against Argentinos Juniors in their Sunday opener, Boca put in a solid performance in the first half, grabbing the lead just five minutes into the game after Saracchi hammered a powerful strike off the crossbar and into the net.

The second half saw the hosts pushing for an equaliser. But they struggled to create any clear-cut chances to breach a solid Boca backline until former Boca striker Fragapane pounced on a loose ball in the box to fire low and find the winner two minutes into stoppage time.

Earlier in the 78th minute, substitute Kevin Zenon could have extended Boca's lead, but goalkeeper Thiago Cardozo blocked his attempt in a one-on-one.

"We didn't want to sit back, but that's how the game turned out. We are very annoyed, we wanted to take a win from here and it slipped away from us at the end," Boca midfielder Tomas Belmonte told ESPN.

"We have a great squad, now we have to show it on the pitch. Today at times we played a great game."

Boca will look to get back to winning ways on Sunday when they host Huracan.

"You are not going to find results overnight," Boca manager Fernando Gago said. "We have to build, we have to get there and we have to try to find a better rhythm as the matches go by." (Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City Editing by Shri Navaratnam)